This invention relates to a lamp and grille assembly, and more particularly to an improved lamp, reflector and grille assembly which is particularly suitable for use in connection with a combined bathroom ventilator/lamp unit, or the like. Even more particularly, this invention relates to improved means for interlocking the several parts of such an assembly.
It has long been customary to incorporate combined ventilator and lamp units in household bathrooms and the like in order to provide necessary illumination, and also to exhaust steam and odors through the ventilator sections of the units. Typically the ventilator section of the unit is mounted above the associated lamp assembly, which more often than not can be operated or energized either simultaneously with, or independently of, the associated ventilator section. Typical such units are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,024, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,406, which happen to be assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.
Among the disadvantages of prior such units has been the difficulty in reducing the expense of manufacturing and assembling the various sections of each unit. In each such case, of course, the lamp section of the unit must be designed so that it permits ready access to the associated bulb or other light source, and permits air to flow through the lamp section to the ventilator section to be exhausted thereby from a room.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide for a combined ventilator/light or lamp unit of the type described an improved lamp assembly, which can be rapidly and easily attached to an associated ventilator unit.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide an improved lamp assembly of the type described which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple to assemble.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel lamp assembly of the type described which incorporates an improved interlock mechanism that enables simple and rapid interconnection of the various parts of the lamp assembly.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.